What I learned from our documentary

1) editing is time consuming:
While filming we kept coming up with awesome ideas for music, scene changes, and overall polish for the project. It wasn't until we actually had to add them that we realized how hard it would be. We needed to make every shot feel like a smooth transition to the next, make sure the music wasn't too overpowering, and somehow get three different audio clips on top of each other. Suffice to say, it was quite a challenge.

2) film is much harder than theatre:
I did theater in high school and after this experience, I can without a doubt say its easier and less stressful than film. A camera isn't a live audience, so you feel so much pressure to redo every scene to make it just perfect. I can't tell you how many times we did some scenes because one of us felt like we stuttered or was out of character.

3) bloopers are hilarious:
While this project was hard and time consuming, it was also a lot of fun. When we messed up shots we laughed and had a good time. Some days of shooting seemed more like a group just hanging out, instead of a school project.

4) acting is the weirdest way to meet someone:
 Coming into the project I knew no one in my group. At first I thought this was going to be a hard challenge to overcome, but it ended up being really interesting. It felt like those cheesy AARO icebreaker sessions. We were so out of our comfort zones that we felt better around each other. Watching Frank do poetry, lauren do math, and kevin dance really showed us some quirky talents. We had a much easier time talking after working together like this.

What if: I listened to country

Image via WikipediaA friend once told me I am constantly going from one place to another, on task to the next, and generally not resting. He thinks it is attributed to me listening to techno and hardcore, and that the bpm is so high that it keeps me motivated. This seems really true because I do feel empowered while listening to that. This made me think of what would happen if I listened to country.


I picture myself taking much more time on projects, moving slower, and feeling more connected to my surroundings. Country music has a sense of deeper meaning and enjoyment, and less about what you do while you listen to it. My friend kale who listens to country agrees and says that he drives slower when listening to country and just experiences things more.

It's interesting how music can affect how you live your life. I wonder how other genres can influence what you are doing as you listen to them?

Fake ice, fake people

Ever see something that looks real, but is actually fake? I saw a bucket of ice and was thinking "oh man, that's a bucket of ice" but it ended up being a prop. The initial feeling of shock and let down can be really similar to when you find out a person's attitude or something you like about them is actually fake.

Sometimes people act in certain ways to get friends, but they end up just being a visage and then get enveloped in it. One of my closer friends pretended to like music they really didn't just so he could impress a girl. While at first this seems harmless, you can see how it could cause a lot of problems.

People who lie about one trait are more than likely to end up lying about other traits. And before they know it they are a completely different person, and are too worried about what the others would think so they never fess up to who they truly are. If everyone was able to just be truthful, then we wouldn't have to worry about being wary of people's traits.

Enjoy the little things

Image via WikipediaMy mom has seriously been on my case for the last week, but it probably isn't what you expected it to be on. Its not over exams, or grades, or food, but Christmas decorations. She was so adamant about me decorating my apartment for Christmas and I couldn't tell why. After a week of this constant reminding I asked her why it was so important to her since she wont ever see it. This answer is what really got to me.

She explained how much the holiday meant to her. She sets her decorations up the day of thanksgiving. She says that she feels so close to me and my brother because that was the time that we had school off and we would just hang out with her and my dad. She thought that having the decorations up in my apartment will help with stress, and really remind me of what I am coming home to in a few weeks.

What I got from her is that you should always enjoy little things, because they are what can really help when other situations are bad. So, after talking to her I put up my lights and tree and can say that I look to them to remind myself of home during these last weeks going into finals.

You mean there are still magazines?

I recently had to do a project where I needed to find articles on a subject I am interested in and write about them. This seemed like an easy assignment until I read that they had to come from a magazine and not the internet. This shocked me because I thought we got over this whole "internet not be being a credible source" like 7 years ago.

Project, a magazine created by the Virgin group, is the first of its kind to be iPad only. This new creation is truly blurring the lines between print and digital, and I believe to be the future of the magazine industry. I brought this to my professor and they still scoffed about it being an "internet source".

I couldn't believe the resistance this teacher had to technology, and how set they were in their old ways. If this professor ran a company I guarantee you it would be on the brink of bankruptcy. Professors should be the beacons of adaptation, taking their knowledge and using new techniques to teach it. It was at this point I realized how different generations thought. Here was someone who was not connected to the internet, and probably has no idea of the exponential changes it has received in the last ten years.

If more people could learn to adapt to changing ways instead of clinging to tradition, I feel like our world could innovate much faster. At our current trend we ramp up when generations shift, but then slow back to a crawl while one has power.

PROJECT magazine demo - issue 1 from PROJECT on Vimeo.

caffeine withdrawl

Image by terenceleezy via FlickrI have been having headaches for the last couple of days and had no idea why. It wasn't a hangover, I didn't feel sick, and I was well hydrated. After the third day I got worried, then i remembered that I had not had a cup of tea in days. While in Vegas I stayed away from energy drinks and tea because I was simply too busy.

I never considered myself addicted to caffeine so I was shocked to see how much it really effected me. This made me think about how you can get so used to something you don't even realize. Sometimes in life we just get so used to something that we don't even know how much a part of life it becomes. This doesn't always mean a bad thing. Sometimes you don't realize how much people become a part of your life. This happened to me when I left for home for my freshman year Christmas break. It was only until then I realized how much living with my friends in my dorm really shaped my life. I was so used to going back after classes and seeing them, that it was hard to be away from that comfort.

Its weird how some things can really connect in your head. It took me by surprise how a simple caffeine aversion lead me to realize how much I put my life on autopilot. I need to stop living by weeks and start living by day. Sometimes you just forget what you did yesterday completely, and that isn't ok. People need to live for the day.

Ancient ceremony, modern philosophy

Image via WikipediaWhen I was in Vegas over the break I went to a tea shop and participated in a gongfu tea ceremony. This is a Chinese tradition and it consist of many mall cups of tea and a very ritualistic way of drinking it. I have read about the method of tea drinking, and have always been intrigued to try it. But I got more from the people, and not the ceremony itself.

Before and after the ceremony I spoke with the main woman in charge. I was enthralled by her passion for her traditions. She brought this tradition with her from china with the goal of sharing it to the world. She didn't care about the money she made from the teas she sold, but instead, she cared about the people she sold to. She saw her job as merely a gatekeeper. She showed people the power of relaxation with tea, and would do anything for the customer to feel satisfied.

This drive really affected me because it was another true tale of happiness. She didn't need a huge paycheck or a nice car to be happy, she woke up every day with the goal to help people, and whatever else she got was extra. A lot of people could learn from her about how to enjoy life, and how to appreciate what you have.